Till The Last Rose Dies
by cheesetaco
Summary: How did James FINALLY woo Lily? ***Oneshot*** R&R!


**A/N: DISCLAIMER: I don't own JKR's FABULOUS characters, unfortunately, and bits of the last scene were taken from the book. **

**I originally got this idea from an icon I found on Photobucket, one that said "He gave her a dozen roses, 11 real, and 1 fake, and told her "I'll love you until the last one dies". So sweet. So yeah. Read and Review! XD**

"FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN POTTER! I WILL **NOT **GO OUT WITH YOU!!! Even if I had to choose between you and SLUGHORN!!!" I huffed, wand drawn and pointing at the dreadful git where he hung from his ankle in mid air. Funny, because HE taught me that jinx and now I was using it against him! Ha! I took one last look at the horrid fireworks display, it's curlicue letters still sparkled pale pink and red, spelling out "Hogsmede this weekend, Evans?". It was a sickly sweet sort of gesture, one that made all the other girls swoon and me scoff. Honestly, we'd been actually GETTING ALONG these past couple weeks, then he has to go and pull a stunt like that! I thought we might actually be friends…maybe. If he'd deflate his head a bit. No, a LOT. I mean, he's grown up a lot over these past six years, but sometimes it's like we're looking in the past. Times like now, when he has to go and embarrass me in front of the whole school!

I dropped him, hoping it would be on his oversized head, only to be disappointed by Remus hastily conjuring a mattress for him to fall on…shame. I stalked down the corridor, everyone moving aside with help from my death glare…it was very dramatic, like in a movie. All the students scatter before the fiery red-head. I snorted. What an interesting movie MY life would make…A beautiful witch being practically STALKED by the school heartthrob…and in the end, would she waltz with her prince charming, or would she find another, and leave him behind? I myself don't even know the answer to this, and it's MY movie! I mean life…Sometimes he's just so sweet, and I think I might actually like him, like, _in that way. _But then I see him and Sirius off pulling some stupid prank and I remember everything he's done, every time he's embarrassed me or I've been the subject of his jokes.

I realized that in my anger I had gotten lost. Six years in this castle, and STILL I was able to get lost…I wonder what those stupid Marauders' secret is? They NEVER get lost. In fact, they always seem to know exactly where to go, and when.

Speak of the devil…James rounded the corner to this deserted hallway, tucking something into his robes, a piece of parchment.

"Lily!" He called. I turned to leave, but realized I was at a dead-end, with him blocking my only way out.

I sighed exasperatedly, "What do you want, Potter?"

"Lily, I love you. Why can't you just believe me? Give me a chance?" His eyes were pleading, actually brimming with tears. James Potter was showing a weak side…I didn't know what to think! I've never seen him like this, I doubt anyone has!

"Um…erm…Sorry, Potter, but I-"

"No. I'm tired of you telling me no. So just don't say it. I NEVER want to hear that wretched word out of your lips, again, Lily. NEVER." He sighed and his hand reached up to ruffle his hair.

But I reached up and stopped his hand, "Don't." I said simply, placing his hand back at his side. He looked at me, bewildered, but shrugged off my weird behavior.

"Lily, I, um…I have something for you." and with that he pulled out a bouquet. A beautiful bouquet of roses. They were absolutely breathtaking, their blood red color striking against the dull green of their stems, their thorns shone menacingly, but they seemed to be enchanted so as not to hurt me.

"James, they're-" I unintentionally used his first name! Crap crap crap! Now he was going to think it MEANT something and that I was all of a sudden one of his little fan girls. But surprisingly, he didn't make a big deal of it.

"Lily. I love you, and I will continue to love you, until the last rose dies."

And with that he turned around, and, yes, this is very shocking, _he walked away!_

This would fit very nicely into my movie. Sappy, poetic, and oh-so-sweet. I caressed the roses, their petals so soft, they smelled so sweet.

But wait-what about when the last rose dies?! He would just…stop…loving me? Just like that? Was that possible? Maybe I should tell him…tell him what, though? That I had secretly been pining after him this whole year, and was just too embarrassed and worried about my reputation to tell him? That'd hardly work. Merlin, I'm such a hypocrite! Always telling his he needs to deflate his bloody ego, and here I am!

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I've put the roses on my bedside table, under a disillusionment charm so as to not draw the attention of my nosy friends and roommates.

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They're wilting! Around the edges, they're going brown! I think I'm going to cry…he CAN'T stop loving me! Not after all these years, not when I've just started to-

I can't even admit it to myself. Oh, Merlin! What am I going to do???

Water. They need more water. They'll be ok…

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The brown is progressing, eating up the beautiful red. My roses are dying. Is his love, to?

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They're dead. All but one.

I head down to the common room, twirling the last rose between my fingers, contemplating it. The brown, it hasn't touched this one yet. He still loves me. I need to tell him, tell him that I…before it's too late.

It's three in the morning. The common room is completely deserted. I plop myself down on the scarlet couch and rekindled the glowing embers in the fireplace to a roaring flame. This rose, the last rose, looked especially beautiful in the light of the fire. I clung to it like it was my last hope, which it was. He couldn't stop loving me. Could he?

I heard a cough, and realized I was not, in fact, alone. Turning, startled, I looked right into those hazel eyes of him. James. He sat down next to me, not saying a word. We both stared at it-the rose.

"James, I-" He looked at me, his eyes dull and hopeless. Has he given up? I took a shuddering breath and realized I had tears in my eyes.

I tried again, "James, I-I love you. I really do. It might of taken me longer to realize it, but please, please don't you ever stop loving me, rose or not.

He chuckled and took the rose from me. "Don't you feel it, Lil? Feel the magic. This rose, I enchanted it. It will never die, it will forever be perfect, never wavering, never wilting. This is the last rose, the one that will never die. Just like my love for you."

Surprising both of us, anger swelled up in me, and I brought my hand back and let it fall hard across his face. He looked shocked, and I was furious.

"JAMES POTTER DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME!" I sobbed. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE GIVING UP! I THOUGHT YOU STOPPED LOVING ME! I THOUGHT THIS ROSE WAS GOING TO--going to…" I wailed, covering my eyes and allowing him to scoop me into his lap.

"Shhhh….shh…Lily, Lily, Lily, Lily….shhh….I love you Lily, I've loved you since First Year, and I'll love you long after I die. I love you."

I looked up at him, my face tear streaked, and I saw it, it was true. In those hazel eyes, flecked with shining gold, the love he had for me shone thorough, and I knew at that moment my eyes mirrored his. He pulled me into a deep kiss, soft, sweet, tender.

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I cuddled with my husband on the couch, perfectly content. Our baby, Harry, was asleep in his crib. We were safe in Godric's Hollow, in our cozy little house. It isn't ideal. I really wish we could go back to work, do something useful. Or at least let my baby boy be able to be in the sun again…but it was for the best. For now. While Voldemort hunted us, we were not safe. But with the unsuspected Peter Pettigrew as out Secret Keeper, we would be fine.

I shared a long, lingering kiss with James, turning and smiling at the rose that lay on the mantelpiece. This was all thanks to that rose…I had James, the most perfect husband imaginable, the perfect son, Harry, and as soon as this war was over, all the other pieces would just fall into place.

My heart leapt into my throat as I heard the click of the door. James tensed, and peeked through the curtains.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"

Tears flooded my eyes but I sprang into action.

"I love you James!" He looked at me, one long look, gave me a quick, sweet peck.

"I love you, too."

I raced up the stairs. Halfway to my baby's bedroom, the door blasted open, I could hear a mad cackling and my throat constricted with fear.

"Momma?" Harry mumbled blearily.

"Oh, baby, baby, baby. It's ok. It'll be ok. We're fine." Harry must have been able to tell something was off, he started bawling his dear little eyes out. I piled things in front of the door, cursing myself. Where was my wand?!

I heard it. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" The words were snarled by a cold voice, and I knew I was alone. He was starting up the stairs. I was trapped.

I snatched up my baby. Not him, too. Anything but Harry.

"I love you, I love you, Momma loves you, I'm here." I shushed Harry. "It'll be ok, we'll be fine soon."

He was at the top of the stairs. My baby! I kissed his forehead, my baby.

"I love you, Harry."

Then something was happening, I glowed gold all over, and let out a scream. What kind of magic was this?! The gold shimmer seemed to seep from me to Harry, and he glowed for an instant before it faded. I didn't have any time to think about this new development, because right that moment, HE blasted into the room. Voldemort.

"NOT HARRY!" I heard myself shrieking. "NOT HARRY! Please-I'll do anything-"

"Stand aside." He hissed. "Stand aside girl!" I turned my back to him, sheltering Harry, cradling my sobbing baby.

It happened in an instant, the green flash of light, and I knew this was it. In that millisecond before it hit me, I saw Harry, my baby, I saw my husband, whom I had denied for so long. And I saw that one, last rose. The rose that never died.

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If you were to go to Godric's Hollow today, to the very sight where Harry Potter's parents were murdered, and he received that fateful scar, you would see a rose bush. It grew like magic, from a single rose. The one, last rose. The one that never died. It's still there, the highest, most beautiful rose on the magical bush, forever showing the love of James for Lily, the love that never ceased, even in the shadows of death.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Pleaseeeee click on that lovely little button that says REVIEW and tell me what you think! I'll be eternally grateful! =) **

**xoxo,**

**B**


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